What's new, bandicoot?

Follow Crash ManiaMeet other Crash fans and get exclusive bonuses on your favourite social networks!

(Date format: DD-MM-YYYY)

21-07-2015
The Untold Story

Following the reveal of the canned animated cutscenes for the original Crash Bandicoot, David Siller has decided to create a Facebook page where he explains everything about the true process that went into creating the franchise, highlighting a lot of misinformation that we fans have unknowingly been fed over the years:

For those who are out of context, David Siller was the main gameplay designer and producer of the first game in the series. His influence in the games was as large as his role was kept under wraps (indeed, without his presence almost 20 years ago, the series might have never even taken off!) David is actively updating this page with some real eye-openers, and it's definitely worth reading for a multitude or reasons.

You'll have to send the page a Friend Request to read David's stories. He's a cool guy, so he should accept you as soon as possible and answer any questions you might have. The stories in this page will be collected and added to Crash Mania in the future for easy reference and preservation, but in the meantime, you should definitely check out the above link!

- HP Zoner

18-07-2015
Crash Bandicoot Cartoon Lost Cutscenes

UPDATE: The original source of the cartoon video below has been found, along with some interesting information about its true purpose.

This was actually not meant to be a cartoon series at all. According to David Siller, one of the producers of the original game:

«It was based on ideas for where we were going with this IP at that time. It was probably too ambitious in nature and was also trying to be humorous. It was never used or even embedded in the game as a hidden "easter egg" treat.

Once UIS licensed the game to Sony for publication, Sony did not want it utilized since they were heavily pushing the "3D" agenda.»

The first segment of the video was intended to be used as the game's intro, whereas the second one (with Cortex falling into the ship) was meant to be the game's ending. It wasn't an animated series, and it wasn't a proposed advertisement for the game or anything of the sort. It was meant to be in the game itself. That's all there is to it.

You can read the original story below.

(Original post)

The subject of a potential Crash Bandicoot cartoon has been hotly debated amongst fans over the years. The games already have a cartoony style of their own, and the franchise was created in a time when it wasn't at all uncommon for popular video games to get animated tie-in shows. You had Sonic, Mario, Earthworm Jim, but strangely, no Crash...

[Old video removed]

The VHS recording above came out of nowhere, and while there has been no official confirmation, it appears to be legit footage of the opening for a show Universal Cartoon Studios was trying to make in the late nineties. We've heard small tidbits about it before, but this is the first time we've actually seen this thing in action. In fact, this is the first indicator that actual animation went into the show. It's unfortunate that it never went anywhere, but being able to watch the actual opening intro is extremely surprising and satisfying.

Judging from the intro, the cartoon was meant to be comedic and full of slapstick, which is pretty much what anyone would expect. It appeared to be quite faithful too, featuring the events, islands, and characters from the original game (you can even spot how some things look like carbon copies from Charles Zembillas's sketches; just look at Ripper Roo, for instance). It may seem odd that Tiny and the Komodo Brothers show up in there, but it makes sense when you consider that Joe Pearson originally created all 3 characters for the first game (you can spot some different outfits for the Komodos too, which might be based off Joe's unseen designs). Sharp-eyed viewers may have also noticed the original logo from Universal Interactive Studios on the ship near the end, which further hints at the video's origins. There's no info regarding voice actors, but the guy singing throughout the opening sounds like Jim Cummings.

The animation wasn't exactly the greatest compared to some of the studio's shows at the time, but the fact that it even existed in the first place means we were closer to getting a Crash Bandicoot cartoon than we've ever assumed. This opens up a lot of questions, and I'm sure there will be a lot of fun speculation surrounding this reveal. It's a real shame this never came out!

In unrelated news, the new version of Crash Mania will be released this August! The site will be roughly 80% complete by then, so I'll be working on the remaining content and features following its release. I figured it would be better than to keep you waiting even longer, and this way you can check up on my progress in real time. The old web site will remain available until everything is done (more details about that later). This update has been 2 years in the making, so I can't express how happy I am to be this close to finishing it. I've put a lot of effort into making it as great as I possibly can, so look forward to it!